Do you enjoy your life? Are you living with real peace, joy and fulfillment? Or are you stuck in the pain of past mistakes, abuse, injustices or some other hurt you've endured? I know what it's like to live in "survival mode," just getting through each day and dreading a lot of what I had to do. I also know how life-changing it can be to discover the truth that God wants us to enjoy our lives. John 10:10 (AMP) says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]." Before I discovered this Scripture, I didn't understand that God meant for me to have a joy-filled life. I loved God and was a born-again Christian, and yet I was miserable!
Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: "Sun, stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the people had revenge upon their enemies… for the Lord fought for Israel. Joshua 10:12–14 Joshua, Moses' successor who led the children of Israel into the promised land, was someone who dared to ask big. When Joshua was caught in the thick of battle with his enemies and the sun was about to set, he cried out for the sun and moon to stand still, and the Bible goes on to record that God answered his prayer.
I was recently awakened in the middle of the night with a burning question in my heart: What would the apostle Paul and the disciples do in the situations that believers are now faced with in Canada, the United States and other parts of the world? How would they live, walk, and comport themselves? In my mind, I was seeing these apostles as bigger than life and present in our world. I sought God for the answers to these questions but received none. The following morning, as I was reading a devotional, God provided the answer. The devotional talked about the early Christians and the situations they were facing; I saw that they were similar to the things we are now beginning to encounter in Canada.
Recently in a time of prayer, the Lord spoke one word to me: "reroute." He wanted to show me what exactly He was talking about. As I took an assessment of several different business situations and ministry circumstances, I personally have in the works, I asked the Lord to show me what needed to be rerouted. As I followed the leading of the Holy Spirit, I began to reposition and redirect different things in those areas.
Recently in worship I was closing my eyes, and I got an image of standing in front of a big window. "What do you see?" asked the Lord. It was dark outside, so I honestly replied "nothing." Then the sun began to rise so light illuminated the view. God whispered, "If the day hasn't come yet, you can be looking in the right place and still see nothing." There are some of you who are looking out the window. You are waiting and you are watching for the promises of God, and you see NOTHING. You are starting to wonder if you're even in the right place. If this is you (and the Holy Spirit will confirm for you if it is), God is saying "don't let the TIMING make you feel like you missed it. You can't see what's there UNTIL THE DAY COMES."
Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." God gives refreshing and there is nothing like being refreshed. People flock to the beaches just to get refreshing, rest and relaxation. I totally get it too because we live in Oklahoma where it gets to be 100 degrees or more in August. The beach and the pool are most welcome here! But although the beach is nice, there is nothing that compares to the refreshing that comes as we spend time in the Presence of God! It is also a whole lot easier too as you can enter into His Presence right where you are – any place, any time! What water is to us naturally, the Holy Spirit is to our hearts. He is the water of heaven – the very river that flows from the throne of God!
Life can be frustrating. Just when things are going good, something seems to happen to throw a wrench in our plans, casting a dark veil over our future. It leaves us feeling like we have no recourse, no avenue to go forward, no way to the future we thought we could have. We are left frustrated. This feeling can arise from many things like trying to pursue a goal but not seeing any visible results. We are frustrated and give up easily because it seems useless, but then we abandon whatever dream we had and are even more frustrated. Frustrations continue when we go over and over the possible scenarios that could happen because of something that has already happened.
One of the most amazing attributes of God is His willingness to communicate. He loves to talk to His people. As soon as He created Adam and Eve at the beginning of time, He blessed them and gave them detailed instructions. God talked to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He gave detailed instructions to Moses, David, Elijah and many other prophets. And today, because we have the indwelling Holy Spirit, He speaks to us. Yet I meet so many Christians who struggle when it comes to guidance. When they pray, they strain to hear anything. They know God speaks, but either they don't believe He wants to talk to them, or they don't want to obey what He says. Many believers have never known the thrill of hearing God's gentle voice in their spirits.
Promotion time is here! It began on August 1st, and it will continue until August 15th. August is the eighth month on the Gregorian calendar and the number "eight" means new beginnings. On the Hebrew calendar, this period covers the last week of Av and the first week of Elul, the last month of year 5781. It is also the beginning of the rebuilding time in the Season of Teshuvah or repentance which culminates at Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, for the Jewish people, which is the Highest Holy Day of the year starting on sundown September 15-September 16. You see in the month of Av, during the Three Weeks of Sorrow from July 27-July 18 many of you were crushed and pulverized in your hearts and bodies.Â
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 NKJV The Lord is bringing you into His perfect timing for the new season we are now entering. You might need to let go of some things from the past to enter into the new. The Lord might call you to die to some issues or plans that are no longer valid or not for now. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habakkuk 2:3 NIV This may be more radical for some people than others. The Lord is going to speak to you about which prophetic words and promises are for now. Stay close to the Lord and you will not miss Him in this major transition.
